In the Shadow of an Angel
by Gemini Angel
Summary: She lived her life in the shadow of a perfect soul. Now its time for her side of the story. A Padma Patil fic.
1. Prologue

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AN: I'll have the first chapter up soon. Just review if you think you'll be following, please?

In the Shadow of an Angel: **Prologue**

I glanced into the mirror and gazed at my reflection. I don't know why. It's not as if I was anything to look at anymore. Sure I hadn't lost the famous family cheekbones and long dark hair, but still.

I can't help wondering if I would have turned out differently had I not been living my life in the shadow of an angel. I may have come first alphabetically, yet that was all. All my life I've been forced to take a backseat to a truly perfect being. 

If you don't know by now, my name is Padma Patil. 

Here is my story. 


	2. Chapter 1: And so then I Stepped into th...

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Sorry it took so long, but here's the first chapter!

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In the Shadow of an Angel: Chapter 1:

And so then I Stepped into the Light

"Patil, Padma!"

My breath caught in my throat the moment Professor McGonagall said those words. I nervously made my way over to the sorting hat.

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'A nice mind you have on you, dear,' the sorting hat spoke to me.

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'Please…Gryffindor…" I wasn't so much as replying to the hat's statement as I was praying. 

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'Child, but Gryffindor is not the place for you. You're mind is strong and sensible, yet your heart and soul are weak and foolish.'

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'Please…' I continued, _'my life depends on it, you must understand this.'_

Yet the hat had no sympathy for me. _'As I said, you are weak of heart, yet strong of mind. Your place is in_ **RAVENCLAW'**

I knew the moment the hat shouted those words to the Great Hall that I was done for. I had not upheld my family's honor. I, Padma Mariei Patil, had been sorted into Ravenclaw. It was better than Slytherin and Hufflepuff, but it wasn't Gryffindor. And only Gryffindor was good enough for my family. These thoughts were running through my head as I slid into a seat at the Ravenclaw table, struggling not to cry as the other students applauded. 

Parvati seemed to have no trouble conquering any fears she may have had of the Sorting Hat. She walked up to the stool perkily, and not at all to my surprise, was destined to take a seat at the Gryffindor table.

Parvati shot me a sympathetic glance from across the room. I knew she was trying to help, but I hated the disappointed gaze that crossed her pretty features. 

It was ridiculous. My sister had never done anything to harm me. She had always been the angelic, perfect older twin. The twin who wasn't weak of heart.

Yet I hated her for it.

~*~ 

The next morning I awoke to the sound of a giggling girl. It was none other than Lisa Turpin, reading a book that I had to assume was amusing. If it wasn't amusing, then the girl never was right in the head to start with. 

I grumbled, dragged myself out of bed, and dressed in my uniform slowly. 

To my great annoyance, Lisa never once ceased to giggle. _Honestly_, I thought, _why wasn't she sorted into Hufflepuff_?

When I was finally dressed and ready for breakfast, I slipped out the door quietly, fearing that giggling Lisa would look up from her book and decide to join me for breakfast.

I made my way quite 'haughtily', as Parvati would have put it, through the Common Room and out the entrance. I was walking down the hallway towards the Great Hall when a voice called, "Patil! Wait up!"

I turned slowly, planning to run if it was Lisa. I was in luck, it was Mandy Brocklehurst, a fellow Ravenclaw first year. 

Mandy finally caught up to me. "Hey, you're Padma, right? Not Parvati?"

I chewed my lip. Did I really want to talk to this girl? I mean, she, like many others, had mistaken me for Parvati at first.

Mandy studied me curiously for a moment, titling her head to the side, before proclaiming triumphantly, "You're Padma."

I felt myself smile, the first true smile I'd smiled since the sorting ceremony that had taken place the night before. There wasn't really much of a reason for me to dislike this girl anymore. She had corrected her mistake.

"Yes," I replied, "I'm Padma, Parvati is in Gryffindor."

Mandy smiled back. "Well, we know which twin is the smarter one then."

My own smile got brighter as we turned towards the Great Hall. "Yes, I guess we do."

~*~

I know what you're thinking. How could my twin have been responsible for my turning out like this? I mean, if I was stepping out Parvati's shadow, my life must have gone on to be quite nice. But you know what they say, once second best, always second best. 

~*~

"This way, I think," Mandy announced uncertainly. We _were_ on our way to Charms, yet had managed to get lost.

Again.

"You'd better be right, Mandy! I hate getting lost in this big old castle!" I exclaimed. It was true, the ghosts frightened me a bit more than necessary, and I really doubt that I'll ever decorate my house with suits of armor.

Mandy tossed her head in mock contempt for my complaining. "I'm always right!"

I giggled. "Which is why we ended up in the dungeons on the way to herbology!" 

What was happening to me? I had never giggled, I had never made any friends with whom I could joke around with. All of my friends had always been Parvati's admirers. 

I was finally stepping out into the sunlight.

Mandy fumbled for her schedule. "Darn! I can't find my schedule! Do you know who we have Charms with?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe Hufflepuff. They were really nice."

Mandy grimaced. "Or maybe Slytherin! They're horrible!"

I'm not sure whether or not either of us would have discussed the third possibility after this, but our conversation came to halt, for we noticed that we had managed to find our way out of the dark hallway and into a much more populated one. 

I noticed Lisa Turpin walking ahead of us and groaned. We had managed to avoid her pretty well so far that day, yet our lucky streak might be coming to end.

Mandy noticed where I was looking and smirked. "Isn't she _so_ annoying? I mean, does she _ever_ put that book down and stop giggling?"

I could feel a smirk crossing my face as well. "Well, she put the book down during class earlier, but she didn't stop giggling!" 

Mandy rolled her eyes at our fellow Ravenclaw. "She really belongs in Hufflepuff, I mean, they're all really nice, but a lot of them are total airheads."

My smirk got wider, if that was at all possible. "Airhead? She's about ready to float away any moment. I'd give her five seconds."

"Five!" Mandy yelped.

I smiled. This actually felt pretty good. I had never done this with Parvati, she would never talk about someone unless it was to their face. "Four!"

Mandy clapped her hands. "Three!"

"Two!" I cheered, jumping up and down.

"ONE!" Mandy yelled, gaining the attention of many of the other students in the hallway.

I jumped into the air once more, shouting as loud as I could, "BLASTOFF!"

"Miss Patil, once you return to the planet Earth, will you join us in Charms class?" a high voice asked.

I whirled around to see Professor Flitwick standing behind me, smiling and shaking his head in amusement.

I blushed and straightened my skirt. "Of course, Professor."

~*~ 

As usual, I know exactly what you're thinking. What did Parvati have to do with this? And why were we so mean to Lisa?

Just remember this: You are only as good as the company you keep.

~*~ 

As Mandy and I took seats behind Lisa, I realized which house we had this class with. 

Gryffindor.

Of course, my sister had to come back to haunt me. Well, I would show her.

When Paravti entered the room, a girl with violet eyes at her side, I leaned over to Mandy and whispered insults about Lisa, yet I looked at Parvati.

If this intimidated my sister, I'll never know. She skipped over to where I was sitting began to talk cheerfully about the people in her house, about how much fun she was having. I couldn't believe this! Here I was, trying to make Parvati feel bad while she was being so…so…_sisterly_.

And I hated it.

My perfect sister had conquered my fatal vinegar with her own nurturing honey. 

I should have felt guilty, yet I was enraged. This just another example of her perfection. 

Yet I would show everyone that I could destroy her perfection with my own imperfection. 

It would just take time.

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A lot of time.

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But I would succeed.


End file.
